This briefing informed policymakers and the public on the drivers and impacts of declining life expectancy in the U.S. as well as highlighted the development of state and federal policy solutions to address these trends.

This webinar will focus on the first approach and will explore different perspectives on how increasing the number of generic and biosimilar options may affect the drug pricing market. Specifically, panelists discussed the main opportunities and challenges of the generic and biosimilar market, how past administrations have approached this issue, and how different stakeholders, including consumers, are impacted.

The conversation on health care costs in America is decades old, yet progress has been elusive. Terms like sustainability, affordability, and value are set forward as goals, but perspectives on how to achieve them vary widely. Speakers and panelists will provide insights on current and projected health care cost trends, what different stakeholders hope to achieve, and new approaches to consider.

The purpose of this briefing is to orient federal policymakers and stakeholders to the legislative and regulatory actions that state officials are perusing to address the rising cost of prescription drugs in Medicaid. Panelists will outline the rationale for these actions, detail the mechanisms of state policies, and describe opportunities to leverage flexibility within federal parameters.

This is the first webinar, part of the Beyond the Beltway: Health Webinars for Journalists series, focused on the implications and tradeoffs of the recent trends in the health care market. Panelists helped define the basics of market concentration and competition, how experts measure the effects on different areas of the market, and how regulators approach assessing partnership proposals.

This purpose of this briefing was to review the value of immunizations for aging adults, highlight factors that impact access to immunizations, and provide a review of coverage for adult vaccines under public and private insurance.

The goal of this briefing was to provide an update on MACRA implementation, the issues on the table as policymakers consider next steps around shifting the way providers are paid, by both public and private payers, and what this all means for improving health outcomes and quality.

This briefing provided an update on the overall state of play with payment reform, and the effort to move away from fee for service and toward value-based payment. Panelists discussed the interplay between the public and private sectors, and, given likely future directions for the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, highlighted areas where the private sector may be best positioned to lead. Panelists shared what this means for future policy options and needs.

New payment and delivery system models for Medicare, Medicaid and private coverage rely on accurate quality measures to improve care for patients. The Alliance held an in-depth briefing on what it means to design “person-centered” quality measures, and how the patient perspective can be used to improve how care is delivered to patients with complex needs.

The opioid addiction crisis has thrown a spotlight on the physical and behavioral health issues surrounding chronic pain. This briefing examined innovative non-pharmacologic models to address chronic pain, including among the military and veteran population and through state Medicaid and safety net programs.

This webinar gave attendees an understanding of the Medicaid waiver landscape heading into a busy fall, when precedent-setting decisions are expected on several states’ proposals. Speakers discussed the kinds of flexibility states have asked for – and are likely to ask for in the coming months and years – and how these changes may affect Medicaid beneficiaries, state budgets, and the future of the ACA coverage discussion.

This briefing examined the real-world implications of proposed policy changes to Medicaid and the impact on populations such as children, the disabled, and those who need long-term services and supports.

This webinar focused on how the AHCA would impact states and Medicaid beneficiaries, how a system of per capita caps would work, what we learned from the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, and how states might respond to new waiver flexibility from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. We examined these issues from both the federal and state perspective, and from the perspective of reporters covering this important issue.

This briefing examined the current state of play and critical issues facing the individual health insurance market. Our panel focused both on proposals for stabilizing the individual market in the near term, and on the longer-term challenges and solutions for non-group insurance.

Medicaid programs could see dramatic changes this year and beyond, even if the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act continues to stall. Several states are taking a fresh look at expanding Medicaid under the ACA, while others are considering waivers under a new administration that will be receptive to experimentation. This briefing for journalists looked ahead at actions that may be taken by Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the states.

This is the final panel of four panels from our Future of Health Insurance Summit. What are important factors and trends about the future that policymakers should consider when making health care policy decisions this year?

This is the third of four panels from our Future of Health Insurance Summit. There is considerable interplay between Medicaid/CHIP and the individual market. How will changes to these programs affect private insurance and how will coverage for low-income people be affected?

This is the second of four panels from our Future of Health Insurance Summit. What approaches have promise for getting people to buy insurance? What does a balanced risk pool look like and how do we achieve it?

This is the first of four panels from our Future of Health Insurance Summit. As policymakers debate major changes to the insurance system, what are the issues and approaches on the table, and what might come up this year?

This webinar looked ahead at the issues surrounding U.S. health care and at potential changes that Congress, the Trump administration, and the states will be likely to adopt in the coming months and years.

This briefing examined the state of play for Medicaid and policy approaches moving forward. Our panel addressed how states and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may respond to the new landscape, as Congress shifts its focus away from health care.

This webinar presented an overview of the individual and employer-based insurance markets before and after the ACA, and it looked ahead at the choices both insurers and consumers must make for 2018 and beyond.

This briefing examined the challenges of aligning or combining public funding sources to achieve better health outcomes, how analysts can prove value in such ventures, and the role of health care professionals in caring for patients who have both medical and non-medical needs.

The Alliance hosted a post-election, half-day symposium previewing critical 2017 health care policy issues, one of the first major gatherings of the health care policy community after the 2016 election.

This briefing featured presentations by our experts highlighting the trends in Medicare regarding prescription drug pricing, and panelists discussed an array of policy options to align drug prices with value through alternative payment models.

This briefing provided an introduction to the VA health system, presented an overview of how the VA acts as both provider and purchaser of care, and discussed policy prospects for the future. Speakers also assessed the potential for increased collaboration between civilian care and VA providers to meet the needs of today’s veterans and those of the future.

The Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces rely on robust competition to control costs and to provide consumer choice. But the decisions of several large insurers to scale back their 2017 marketplace participation, and the failure of many health insurance co-ops will leave marketplace shoppers in many states with fewer choices than they had in 2016. Furthermore, those insurers remaining in the exchanges have often found their marketplace customers to be less healthy than they projected, and they are raising premiums in response. Our briefing focuses on these trends, what they mean for the long-term viability of the marketplaces, and what public policy steps can be taken to bring more healthy people into the risk pool and to encourage insurer participation in the individual market.

Medicaid is testing numerous new alternative payment and delivery system models to enhance the coordination of the health care services provided to millions of low-income Americans. This briefing examined the range of Medicaid’s efforts to improve care and promote value, including integrating health with non-clinical and behavioral services, creating managed care organizations, and instituting regional care collaborative organizations. Our panel also addressed Medicaid’s role in managing emerging issues such as the opioid epidemic and the spread of the Zika virus.

Health systems have applied many innovative new strategies for improving quality and reducing costs when it comes to care for high-need, high-cost patients, who typically have multiple chronic conditions. Which of these innovations show promise, and what can we learn from them?

At our briefing for reporters at the National Press Club, NIH’s Anthony Fauci provided an update on the state-of-play of the Zika virus in the U.S. A panel representing federal, state and local officials then discussed details of how the response will be coordinated and where resources are needed.

In advance of the fourth open enrollment period for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which begins Nov. 1, this briefing examined who has gained coverage, who remains uninsured, and why uninsured individuals have not obtained coverage. Speakers also discussed marketplace stability, factors driving premium trends, and the outlook for 2017 premiums. In addition to insights from our panelists, this briefing included a discussion of survey results from The Commonwealth Fund ACA Tracking Survey and what it tells us about consumers’ experiences with the marketplaces.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently closed the public comment period for its proposed rule to implement the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). This means that Medicare will soon change its payment system for physicians, and there could be broad implications for physicians, health systems, health plans, consumers and others.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) closed on June 27 the public comment period for its proposed rule implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). This means that Medicare will soon change its payment system to emphasize value over volume, and physicians caring for Medicare patients will need to make decisions about how to adapt their practices to the new incentives.

Employers have long been advancing a variety of efforts to engage their employees in their health care, reduce absenteeism, and decrease the cost of employee health benefits. Recently, however, some employer wellness programs offering significant incentives for participation–or penalties for nonparticipation–have raised legal issues regarding privacy and discrimination and are the subject of a recent proposed rule from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

With biosimilar biological products moving from the lab to the marketplace, key policy and regulatory questions are being actively debated, with important implications for industry, patients, and the health care system.

This briefing will explore policy considerations to ensure that public health and health care systems are appropriately equipped to monitor, prepare for, and respond to Zika virus, as well as other future vector-borne outbreaks. While there have not been any cases of local transmission identified in the continental U.S., this mosquito-borne disease has captured the attention of public health and health care officials across the nation, especially as warmer weather approaches. As of April 27, 2016, 426 travel-associated Zika cases were reported in the United States and 596 locally-acquired cases were reported in U.S. territories.

While the national news media and presidential candidates have focused on the water crisis occurring in Flint, Michigan, the city is not the only one facing a contaminated water system. With infrastructure over a century old, outdated regulatory legislation, and difficult-to-track contaminants entering our water, the federal government is tasked with solving current problems and mitigating future ones.

CMS’s Patrick Conway will meet with reporters May 4th to answer questions about recent developments in ACOs, bundled payments and other Medicare payment demonstrations. He’ll also discuss a recently-announced demo, Comprehensive Primary Care Plus, which could bring more flexibility to 20,000 primary care physicians, and may cover services such as telemedicine.

Recent pharmaceutical innovations offer unprecedented possibilities for curing, treating, or preventing a range of diseases. However, patients, providers and payers alike have raised concerns about the affordability and sustainability of these drugs. As a response to price increases of both single-source and generic drugs, some stakeholders are calling for a move towards basing payments on value, and some payers and pharmaceutical manufacturers are exploring ways to base payments on outcomes. However, many challenges remain.

Medicare is testing new ways to pay for medical services, emphasizing value rather than volume, and evidence is beginning to build about successes and challenges. This briefing will examine what we know so far about the basic models, savings, quality, the impact on patients and the prospects for replication.

Reforming the American health care system is a front-burner topic for many policymakers. One main reason is the desire to extend coverage to some if not all of the more than 45 million uninsured in this country. But there is an emerging consensus that reform must also encompass ways to improve quality and value in the system, and one of the prime targets for reform is the way care is delivered. Advocates, analysts, policymakers, consumers and the business and labor communities are all looking for ways to get more value for their health care dollar – delivering better care at lower cost.

A governor met with reporters Friday, February 19 to discuss the latest health care innovations and changes they are pursuing or implementing. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., discussed his experience with the state’s program to move newly eligible Medicaid beneficiaries to qualified health plans, and his intentions for changes moving forward.

A top Federal Trade Commission official, along with key experts, met with reporters Dec. 15 to discuss the recent surge in health care consolidation; the driving forces behind this trend; and the implications for policymakers and enforcers.

Research shows that approximately 40 percent of former federal prisoners and over 60 percent of former state prisoners are rearrested within three years of release and many are re-incarcerated. Individuals transitioning into and out of the criminal justice system include many low-income adults with significant physical and mental health needs. Through outreach and education, correctional facilities are increasingly playing a key role in connecting eligible individuals to health care coverage and other social supports to facilitate their reintegration into the community. The Medicaid coverage expansion is also providing new opportunities to increase health care access to this particular population and potentially improving health outcomes, while bringing down costs. This briefing, the last in our “Medicaid: Beyond the Silos” series, built on last year’s correctional health briefing, with an added focus on reentry programs, and further explored the intersection of health policy and the criminal justice system.

In 2014, there were a total of 1,299 mergers and acquisitions in the health care sector – a record number, up from 1,035 the year before. This briefing will discussed the driving forces behind this recent increase in consolidation; the scope and extent of consolidation among doctors, hospitals and insurers; implications for consumers and other stakeholders; and the roles of the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

Evidence shows that medication adherence—the extent to which a person takes medications as prescribed by their health care providers—is associated with improved health care outcomes for many costly chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and asthma. However, only 50% percent of Americans are estimated to take their medications as prescribed, and non-adherence is estimated to result in added direct and indirect costs to the healthcare system of over $300 billion per year. The challenges and policy questions surrounding medication adherence affect Medicare, Medicaid, and the private sector – and offer a window into broader questions surrounding the ability of our health care system to coordinate care, particularly for people with multiple chronic conditions. In this briefing, top experts from the public and private sectors explored key policy, practical, and research questions surrounding medication adherence and management of medications.

Behavioral health conditions, including mental health issues and substance use disorders, affect nearly one in five Americans and account for $57 billion in health care costs annually. This briefing discussed current initiatives to integrate behavioral and physical health care services in order to improve quality of care and reduce overall health care costs.

With Medicare Advantage (Part C) and prescription drug (Part D) open enrollment beginning October 15th, this briefing took a close look at what to expect, including trends in premiums and cost sharing, plan availability and benefit design.

The movement toward home and community-based, long-term services and supports (LTSS) continues to grow, resulting in increased demand for these services. The goal is to help people live in the community independently, yet many barriers to offering HCBS still exist. This briefing will examine the potential of HCBS to reduce health care costs and improve quality of care. It will explore the intersection of HCBS, the broader health care delivery system and Medicaid, which is the largest payer of LTSS.

With the third open enrollment period for health insurance marketplaces launching November 1st, this briefing took a detailed look at what consumers can expect regarding premiums, health plan availability and affordability.

Innovative drugs have brought about significant progress in treating costly and complex conditions. While there is agreement among many stakeholders that some of these breakthrough drugs have had a positive impact on Americans’ health and life expectancy, increasing prices have also caused some confusion about the methods by which drug prices are determined. The goal of this briefing was to discuss recent prescription drug price trends, as well as demystify the pricing process. It identified contributors to the rising prices of many drugs, including shareholder interests and R&D costs, in addition to explaining possible future pricing-related challenges for manufacturers, providers, and consumers.

This briefing, the first in a three-part series exploring the intersection of health and social policy, focused on Medicaid and housing policy. What does evidence say about the relationship between stable housing and health outcomes for various populations? What financial impact can housing have on Medicaid costs, and what potential role can Medicaid play regarding housing policy? What funding sources are state and local officials currently leveraging to provide housing resources? Are there barriers to innovative health and housing approaches?

This briefing, the second in a three-part series on the role of consumers and patients in our health care system, discussed the role of consumers in today’s health care coverage market, exploring questions such as: How is the evolving insurance marketplace affecting the choices consumers have when selecting a health plan, whether through a health insurance exchange, employer, or other mechanism? What information do consumers need to select a plan that is right for them? Are consumers well informed regarding health insurance matters, and do they know how to make use of their coverage once they have it?

In advance of the third open enrollment period for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, this briefing examined coverage trends, who has gained coverage and who remains uninsured, and why those uninsured individuals have not obtained coverage.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created new health insurance marketplaces for small businesses, known as Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) marketplaces, and made substantial changes to the regulation of health insurance for small businesses. For purposes of health insurance regulation, small businesses have traditionally been defined by states as businesses with up to 50 employees. The ACA defined the small group market as employers with 1-100 employees, while allowing states to limit small group participation to employers with 50 or fewer workers from 2014 through 2016. Every state chose to do so, but, for plan years beginning in 2016, the definition of small business is set to expand to include those with 100 or fewer employees—with potentially significant consequences for the small group health insurance market and the SHOP marketplaces.

Join us for a special breakfast for reporters to address major changes set to take place for small businesses and health coverage in 2016, and proposals to delay or reconsider those changes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created new health insurance marketplaces for small businesses, known as Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) marketplaces, and made substantial changes to the regulation of health insurance for small businesses. For plan years beginning in 2016, the definition of a small business is set to expand from up to 50 employees to up to 100 employees—with potentially significant consequences for the small group health insurance market and the SHOP marketplaces.

This briefing told you what you need to know about a major Supreme Court challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Court is expected to make a decision in June, and a ruling for the King petitioners could mean that individuals will no longer be able to receive subsidies to purchase health insurance through the federal marketplace. The federal government is operating insurance marketplaces in more than 30 states. Currently, subsidies to buy health insurance are available to individuals with incomes between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level (i.e., those with annual incomes between $11,770 and $47,080).

With Congress focused intently on the discovery, development, and delivery pipeline for innovative drugs and devices – and in the wake of the first-ever U.S. approval of a biosimilar medication– key policy and regulatory questions are being actively debated, with important implications for industry, patients, and the health care system

Per capita spending growth in Medicare has slowed over the last few years, although economists disagree about whether that trend will continue. Meanwhile, the number of Medicare beneficiaries continues to increase. Medicare has made systematic changes over the course of its first 50 years, addressing everything from benefits and eligibility to quality of care measurement and provider payment.

Join us for a special breakfast for reporters, where former FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach will give you the latest on the fast-moving 21st Century Cures legislation. Karen Riley, deputy director of strategy at the FDA’s Office of External Affairs, will also be available to answer questions. The briefing comes just a week after the House Energy and Commerce Committee unveiled bipartisan draft legislation. The committee may begin voting on the measure as early as next week.

This event examined innovative efforts in both the private and public sectors to move toward a health system that is more patient-centered, cost-efficient and delivers better outcomes. It will address efforts underway at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and other federal agencies to spur innovation and prioritize a shift toward higher quality care, as well as the progress made by the private sector in improving quality and reducing costs through innovation.

The briefing explored the trends in health care costs in both the public and private sectors. It explained recent moderate growth rates, along with possible reasons and prospects for the future. This session was especially helpful to congressional staff members new to the issue, but also served as a useful review for anyone working on health care policy.

Medicare provides health insurance coverage to 54 million people aged 65 and over and younger people with permanent disabilities. In 2013, Medicare spending accounted for 14 percent of the federal budget. This session was especially helpful to congressional staff members new to the issue and a useful review and update for staff working on a broad range of Medicare issues. This Medicare 101 answered basic questions, such as: What services does Medicare provide, and how does Medicare pay for these services? How is Medicare financed? What changes did the Affordable Care Act (ACA) make to Medicare? How fast is Medicare spending growing? What are current proposals to strengthen Medicare for the future, and what are prospects for action in the new Congress?

With some states grappling over whether to expand Medicaid, and Congress facing big decisions about the future of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), this briefing reviewed the basics about both programs and discuss current issues.

Efforts are underway throughout the Medicare program to better manage beneficiaries’ chronic conditions, with the goal of improving quality and lowering the costs of care. With an estimated 31 million Medicare beneficiaries suffering from a chronic condition such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and cancer, many still do not receive the coordinated services they need to manage their chronic conditions, and beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions incur higher-than-average spending. However, traditional fee-for-service Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and newer models such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) differ in the tools and methods available to manage chronic care.

This session was especially helpful to congressional staff members new to the issue, but is also a useful review for anyone dealing with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The briefing took place just as the second marketplace enrollment period ended and the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging the law’s subsidies.

The nursing profession, with nearly 3 million licensed and practicing nurses in the U.S., comprises the largest segment of the nation’s health care workforce. There is consensus among experts that nursing education should be modernized to train a greater percentage of nurses at the graduate level and provide the skills nurses need as today’s health care delivery system continues to evolve towards more team-based, data-driven, and coordinated care. What does the nursing workforce look like now, and how does it need to change to meet current and future health needs in the U.S.? How are nursing education and training currently financed? What is the role of federal policy in training a 21st century nursing workforce? How does the nursing workforce fit into today’s primary care workforce and the evolving health care delivery system?

Adolescence is a time of physical, emotional, and cognitive transition between the worlds of childhood and adulthood. This time can include the onset of chronic conditions such as obesity, hypertension, and schizophrenia, yet teens may have difficulty accessing appropriate care for their physical and mental health needs. Emerging models around the country may be improving adolescents’ access to appropriate care, but the evidence suggests many needs are not being met.

Digital health technologies, particularly those designed to engage and empower patients, have the potential to address unmet health needs and deliver care in new, lower-cost ways. Information shared from electronic health records, the “cloud” and apps can help clinicians target conditions, measure and monitor patient outcomes, personalize treatments, and engage patients in their care. This briefing will examine innovative uses of digital health technology to engage patients and deliver care, with particular focus on high cost, high need patients.

Almost three in ten Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, which offers a choice of competing private health plans – typically managed care plans such as HMOs and PPOs. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made significant changes to the way Medicare Advantage plans are paid, including tying a portion of payments to a quality star rating system. Despite predictions that MA enrollment would drop in the wake of scheduled payment reductions to the program, the percentage of seniors who are choosing to enroll in MA plans is still growing. However, the impact of upcoming reductions remains the subject of much debate.